| Summary: | Since the 1950s, the capacity of fishing fleets has increased significantly. As a result, there have been frequent cases of overfishing, particularly of some marine species that have not yet recovered. In 1982, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an international treaty, was adopted and signed. It has led to the creation of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and defined the rights and responsibilities of States with regard to the use of the seas and oceans. The Convention has become the legal framework for marine and maritime activities. However, the lack of stronger agreements leaves a wide range of problems, such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a rapidly growing world population, the environment and human degradation. These problems are exacerbated by climate change, ocean warming, and increasing pollution of our marine spaces. One third of the world's fisheries is currently overexploited and calls for a global approach to restore once abundant ocean resources. Through case studies and analysis of the status quo in fisheries management, this thesis aims to provide the reader with an understanding of the multi-faceted anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic issues facing our oceans. Nature-based solutions are available and must be integrated. The institutional framework of Ostrom's institutions provides answers to some of the governance problems.
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